Workshop will address livestock risk management

Texas Cooperative Extension has scheduled a livestock risk management workshop from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Angelo State University's Management, Instruction and Research Center.

The center, known regionally as the "MIR Center," is located at 7945 Grape Creek Road, north of San Angelo.

The Risk Management Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Cattlemen's Beef Association are partnering with Extension to present the workshop.

"Texas livestock and forage producers have faced many frustrating events over the past decade," said Bill Thompson, Extension economist at San Angelo. "Now, with rising corn and other feed, producers are again faced with unparalleled input costs.

"Although cattle prices have stayed relatively high, lamb prices remain flat. Never has the importance for risk management been higher in the livestock industry."

Thompson said the workshop's objective is to provide livestock producers an overview of the risk management tools approved by the risk management agency, as well as other tools now available through local crop insurance agents.

Workshop topics include: pasture, rangeland, and forage insurance; livestock risk protection for feeder cattle, fed cattle and lambs and livestock gross margin insurance. The workshop will also look at the current market situation and outlook.

"Anyone involved in the livestock industry should benefit from this workshop," Thompson said.

The workshop is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required.